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KAREL. A MALAY PRIEST, AT PRAYER: HIS WIPE NAZEA. 
Karel, the Hadji, is one of the leading priests of the Malays of Cape Town: he boasts the grand distinction 
ot having performed the pilgrimage to Mecca, and styles himself the original and only genuine pilgrim amongst the 
followers of the Prophet there. Karel is an intelligent and interesting man, and has more liberal views and sentiments 
than any ot his rival priests. He repeatedly sat to me for his portrait, and encouraged his people to do the same, 
although it is contrary to the law r of rigid Mussulmeu to represent the human countenance. Karel’s intelligence combated 
with the prejudices ot the more bigoted Malays in this instance, although sundry old women threw out suspicions that 
the new panes of plate-glass in the bookseller s shop-window in the Ileerengracht were for the purpose of displaying their 
portraits; and it was with some difficulty I persuaded them that such indeed was not the case. Whenever I visited 
Karel, coffee and cakes were ottered me, and I always found him extremely obliging and willing to afford me every 
information respecting the customs and ceremonies of his people. Nazea is the only surviving wife of Karel,—as, 
amongst all Mahommedans, it is customary for the Malays to be allowed a plurality of wives, but it is very seldom 
that we find them with more than two, whilst a large majority have only one. The costume of the Malay women is 
very neat: they wear a variety of gay colours ; but in their dresses they invariably adhere to one rigid pattern, as do 
the men in the cut ot their garments and the fashion of their hats. Nazea is portrayed in her walking dress. The 
priest, in his robes, officiating at prayers, before a white linen cloth. In the background of Nazea’s portrait is a view 
of the Lion’s Head Mountain adjoining Cape Town. 
